An Australian woman has given birth at the age of 60, and she is among dozens of menopausal women who had babies in 2010.

Professor Elizabeth Sullivan heads the unit that collated the research at the Australian Institute of Health Welfare and she spoke this morning with Angela Catterns and Wendy Harmer on 702 Summer Breakfast.

"We're seeing there has been an increase in older mothers over the years," she told the Early Girlies, "60 is certainly one of the highest ages we've had ever."

There were 562 women aged over 45 who gave birth in 2010, this accounted for 0.2% of all births. There were less than 50 births for women aged over 50. 1 in 7 women aged over 35 were first time mothers.

"Certainly it would make sense the menopausal age might be a natural age limit," Professor Sullivan told Catterns and Harmer.

"But other people give birth in their 50s and have very long, productive and happy times with their children."

Physician Anne Marie called in to the talk back line to say women in this age group often come into their pregnancy with blood pressure and diabetes conditions - something that is less common in 30 year old or 20 year old women.

"Diabetes leads to much more monitoring of the pregnancy," she told Catterns and Harmer.

Wendy Harmer who had two kids later in life agreed having children after 40 brought with it certain physical problems.